Tensions ran high during the July 4 celebrations in Philadelphia, in which two police officers were shot and killed. It came just hours after the murder of six people at a parade in Chicago on Monday.
American’s nervousness was fully apparent when the two Philadelphia officers were shot dead near Benjamin Franklin Parkway as thousands of people celebrated a concert and fireworks display on July 4.
Video shown by local news media showed people running for their lives upon hearing the gunshots. Hundreds ran screaming along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for cover.
The gunfire broke out near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the last day of a festival with a large number of people watching a fireworks show after a concert.
The crowd was startled and ran frantically away from the area where the shots rang out late into the night.
News camera footage captured moments of utter chaos as frightened revelers run as fast as they could from the stage.
A view from a Philadelphia apartment building sees hundreds of people running away from the sound of gunshots
The streets below were full of people running as fast as they could
Police Respond to a Shooting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania During the July 4th Celebration
The crowd was startled by the sound of gunfire and began to sprint away
Footage from news cameras captured a moment of utter chaos as frightened revelers rushed towards it
A group of police officers walk to the Philadelphia Museum of Art after a shooting at a firework display in Philadelphia
Those who managed to run away shot around the nearest corner to take cover where they were safe
Members of the crowd, including young children, can be seen running down the street away from gunfire
Police officers were also looking for those responsible. The shooter was not caught
An armored police vehicle stands outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art after a shooting at a firework display in Philadelphia
Josh Holden, a reporter for CBS3, described the scene as ‘terrifying’
“It was pure chaos. I was there,” Lanie Marlin wrote on Twitter.
Those who managed to run away shot around the nearest corner to take cover where they felt safe. Meanwhile, police instructed people in surrounding buildings to take shelter at the scene.
Members of the crowd, including families with young children for an evening of fun, could be seen running down the street in fear of gunfire. People ran in all directions as the shots were heard in a crowd already nervous after the deadly shooting in Chicago earlier on Monday.
Josh Holden, a reporter for CBS3, described the scene as “terrifying.”
People run for blocks from the Welcome America Festival on Ben Franklin Parkway after two police officers were shot while working in the area. A really terrifying scene on what should have been a party night,” he tweeted.
‘A 44-year-old officer assigned to Montgomery Co. Bomb Squad was shot in the shoulder while a 36-year-old Highway Patrol Officer has a head injury,” Holden explained with the bullet in the officer’s hat.
Both officers were part of the security detail for the festival and were transported to Jefferson Hospital in stable condition, according to police. A heavy police presence in the hospital followed.
Both officers were released early Tuesday morning.
Police sources said the gunman(s) were not in a high position or fired from a building.
The shootings caused chaos during the July 4 festivities in the city on the Parkway, with people fleeing from the area.
The fireworks continued to go off as officers heard on police radio asking for the fireworks display to be stopped as officers responded to the chaos.
“It was pure chaos. I was there,” Lanie Marlin wrote on Twitter.
“There were gates blocking the way. There were officers yelling and there were officers doing nothing. People are running in all directions. Others stood by and didn’t know what was going on.
“In the beginning it was very orderly. The police were like ‘go this way, go this way’. And then they accelerated and said, ‘Run, run, run. Don’t look back, run,” Hugh Dillon said to CBS3.
Both officers were in stable condition, CBS3 Philadelphia said, citing police. Police were still looking for the shooter late into the night.
Families with young children ran away as quickly as possible
Families of all ages had gathered for the celebrations, but rushed to get away
People ran in all directions as the shots ran out among an already nervous crowd
A little girl can be seen in her mother’s arms as they race to leave the scene of a shooting
More revelers can be seen darting away from the area where gunfire was heard in Philly
An armored police vehicle drives up Pennsylvania Ave after the shooting
A police officer speaks on the phone as he inspects the area after a shooting
“There is a security incident on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway,” emergency services said, referring to the shooting.
“I didn’t hear the shots, but the police said, ‘Run, run, run,’” a woman told an NBC affiliate.
Even Philadelphia’s Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney seemed visibly shaken by the incident.
“I’m waiting all the time for something bad to happen, so I’ll be happy if I’m not there, if I’m not mayor and can enjoy some things.”
The Philadelphia shooting came hours after a rooftop gunman opened fire on families waving flags and children on bicycles during a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb of Highland Park, killing six people and more than 36 were injured.
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The shooting sent hundreds of protesters, parents with prams and children on bicycles fleeing in panic in the affluent community of approximately 30,000 on Chicago’s North Shore.
The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had set out prime vantage points early in the day for the annual celebration.
Dozens of bullets fired caused hundreds of parade-goers – some visibly bloodied – to flee.
The July 4 shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life.
Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing zones in recent months.
This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find a reason to celebrate its founding and the ties that still hold it together.
Empty seats line the sidewalk after parade-goers fled Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade after shots were fired, Monday, July 4, 2022 in Chicago